Ecosystems

Loki: Chapter 9

Ecosystems on the planet Loki
can be divided up into two main categories: those on the sea floor
and those near the surface of the ocean. Very little, if any,
life exists between these two layers, and the only communication
is caused by sporadic eruptions and other similar violent events
which sweep microorganisms into the upper reaches. Because of
this, animals and plants above and below are related only on a
microbiological level.

Life above tends to be more sparse
than that below. Ecosystems here generally consist of producers-plants
which thrive on IR radiation and those things which eat them.
Because Loki is tidally locked with Thor, these plants only live
on one side of the planet. The amount of radiation they receive
through the ice above is reduced enough that activity here is
generally reduced due to the lack of energy. Most plants are single-celled,
with a very few tiny microscopic ones. All documented animal life
is single-celled. Communities here generally appear as dark blotches
below the ice when seen from above, or darker-colored water when
seen from below. They also have a reddish or purple tint.

Life below has access to much
more intense energy sources -- the volcanoes. In between volcanoes
and vents, however, there is little energy and life is sparse.
Communities have several general appearances:

Around a newly-formed volcano,
the single-celled producers will gather first. They are joined
by their predators, ranging in size from microscopic to barely
visible. At this stage, the community will appear as a vent with
its gas bubbles; and a darker purple color may be noticeable.

After a short time, the coral-like
animals will begin to collect and build various small structures
in the vicinity of the vent. By this time, seeds of larger plants
have been transported in, and larger, herbivorous animals will
inevitably have followed. The community will appear as several
large plants, surrounded by multiple smaller ones and an occasional
animal darting about seeking cover. The coral structures are only
small protuberance on the rocks.

Some time later, the plants will
have grown to a more respectable size. They will have well-developed
symbiotes living on or around them, transforming their waste products.
Many smaller plants will inhabit a zone extending as much as a
kilometer out. Larger herbivores will have moved in to eat the
larger and more abundant plants, and carnivores will have come
in to feed on the herbivores. The most noticeable features at
this point are the large plants, extending out of sight into the
upper reaches, and the tangled network of smaller plants around
and on them. In addition, the coral structures have grown to a
size much more noticeable -- up to a meter across. Herbivores
can be seen munching on plants or watching for predators.

The last stage of the vent ecosystem
is the most interesting. Now, the coral has grown into a sort
of upside-down bowl covering the vent, with large ragged holes
where the water or gas pressure has ruptured it. The plants, lacking
the energy now taken by the coral, have grown as far as possible
into the holes left in the structure. The largest of the plants
still survive, but they are fewer, and their foliage is concentrated
on the higher parts of their stalks. The plants which remain close
to the dome are all greedily trying to thrust themselves into
the warm interior against the other plants and the force of the
current. Other coral structures are well-formed by now, and are
being used by the herbivores for shelter. The carnivores cruise
around looking for an unwary morsel, or hover silently in cover
of their own, waiting for a possible ambush. Once in a great while,
a chunk of the dome will be torn off and go spinning up into the
water, followed by a stream of plants and sessile animals falling
off, only to crash down again into the sea floor a short distance
away.